The house was first built in 1821 by Captain John Berry, a carpenter in the area. In 1835, Reverend Robert Burwell, his wife, Margaret Anna Burwell, and his two oldest children, Mary and John Bott, moved into the home after the
Hillsborough Presbyterian Church bought the property to serve as a parsonage. Living with them was their slave
Elizabeth Keckly (then Hobbes), who would as a free woman be known for her association with
First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln. Two years later, James Webb approached Mrs. Burwell and asked her to educate his daughters. She agreed, and opened a school for young ladies in her home. The school ran from 1837 to 1857, and enrolled more than 200 girls over those twenty years. In 1848, the Burwells hired the home's original builder to expand the home after they purchased it from the church. After Reverend Burwell left his position with the church, he joined the school's teaching staff, which also included several graduates of the program. ==See also==